Justin Simmons

Falcons Meet With Drew Dalman; Grady Jarrett Available In Trade?

March 2nd, 2025 at 4:15pm CST by Sam Robinson

MARCH 2: It remains to be seen how the recent conversations between team and player went, but ESPN’s Dan Graziano writes the Falcons are bracing for Dalman to depart by taking a more lucrative offer than the one they are prepared to make. Ryan Neuzil is in place as a potential successor atop the center depth chart who will require a much smaller cap commitment on Atlanta’s part.

FEBRUARY 25: Poised to be one of the top free agent offensive linemen available, Drew Dalman expressed interest in staying with the Falcons. The team will now take a look at what it will take to make that happen.

The Falcons will meet with their starting center’s camp at the Combine, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter notes. Terry Fontenot stopped short of calling Dalman a player the franchise wants to keep, but the upcoming conversations point to the organization at least determining a price point.

Dalman, 26, replaced Matt Hennessy at center and started for most of the past three seasons. An ankle injury tripped up the former fourth-round pick last year, but Pro Football Focus has graded him as a top-five pivot in each of the past two years. After Lloyd Cushenberry parlayed a good contract year in Denver into $26MM guaranteed at signing — then the second-most among centers — Dalman will probably be angling for a similar number, especially after the news of the salary cap’s latest $20MM-plus spike.

The Falcons, however, have three veteran contracts along their O-line already, rostering Jake Matthews, Chris Lindstrom and Kaleb McGary. Atlanta’s right tackle is, however, in a contract year. The Falcons have until 11am CT on March 10 to conduct exclusive negotiations with Dalman and their other UFAs-to-be.

One of their other unsigned starters, Matt Judon is set to hit the market for the second time. The Falcons have not contacted Judon’s camp about a re-signing yet, Ledbetter adds. That could take place in Indianapolis, but Judon did not reprise his pre-injury form after being acquired for a third-round pick last summer. Despite pursuing better Patriots terms in 2024, Judon did not seek a Falcons extension upon arrival.

The former Division II success story, after suffering a season-ending biceps tear in 2023, posted 5.5 sacks and nine QB hits. Both totals pale in comparison to his peak Patriots and Ravens work, not providing much momentum for a free agency payday. Judon’s age (33 in August) will not help his cause, either. But he should at least attract interest from teams considering a midlevel contract to help their edge-rushing units.

The other veteran added on defense shortly before the season, Justin Simmons is expected to reach the market, according Channel 2 Action News’ Zach Klein. Simmons started 16 games for the Falcons last season, intercepting two passes. Like Judon, however, the four-time All-Pro did not deliver on the level he had with his previous team. The former Broncos defensive centerpiece played out a one-year, $7.5MM deal. At 31, Simmons may need to settle for another short-term pact after waiting for a notable deal to materialize for months last year. The nine-year veteran wants to stay in Atlanta, however.

Simmons and Grady Jarrett share an agent, Todd France, who informed Klein he will likely speak with the Falcons about the status of the veteran defensive lineman. “Grady is an Atlanta Falcon right now, so we’ll see where that goes,” France said. Fontenot (via Ledbetter) did not call Jarrett an untouchable player in trades.

GMs rarely make anyone truly untouchable, though votes of confidence about players’ futures with teams often come out of the Combine. The longest-tenured Falcon defender, Jarrett has played nine seasons with the team. The interior D-lineman is on contract No. 3 with Atlanta, having signed a three-year, $49.5MM deal in 2022. Jarrett’s pact runs through the 2025 season; none of his $15.25MM base salary is guaranteed.

Jarrett, 32 in April, has resided as Atlanta’s top D-lineman for most of his career. He returned from an October 2023 ACL tear last season, notching just 2.5 sacks and finishing with 12 QB hits. The latter total tied for sixth in Jarrett’s career. He would still seemingly garner trade interest, but with a team likely needing to work out a new deal that goes beyond 2025, expecting a major return might be overly optimistic.

As the Falcons attempt to end a seven-year playoff drought, Jarrett’s status will be one of the questions Fontenot’s staff will need to answer in the coming weeks.

Justin Simmons Wants To Stay With Falcons

February 20th, 2025 at 9:58pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Falcons teamed two of this era’s best safeties last season, signing Justin Simmons to join Jessie Bates. Simmons stayed in free agency for months awaiting the right deal, but the former Broncos All-Pro is headed back to the market soon.

Having agreed to a one-year contract worth $7.5MM, Simmons did better than most of the safeties who became cap casualties last year. The longtime Bronco’s hopes of snapping his playoff drought did not come to fruition, however, with the Falcons missing out. Still, the 31-year-old defender is interested in sticking around under a new defensive staff.

Raheem Morris remains, of course, but the second-year Falcons HC fired DC Jimmy Lake after one season and replaced him with Jets interim leader Jeff Ulbrich. Despite the changes, Simmons wants to stay in Atlanta, per the Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s D. Orlando Ledbetter.

As Bates continued to justify the four-year, $64MM deal he signed in 2023, Simmons joined him as a starter. The nine-year veteran logged 16 starts for Atlanta. Pro Football Focus did not view the four-time All-Pro’s work favorably under Morris and Lake, slotting him 68th among safety regulars last season. Simmons still intercepted two passes to run his career count to 32. Since Simmons’ 2016 rookie year, that total leads the NFL.

Needing to create cap space while facing the record-smashing Russell Wilson dead money bill, the Broncos released Simmons last March. They brought in ex-Dolphin Brandon Jones, who played well on a three-year, $20MM deal. This lower-cost formula, with the aid of Patrick Surtain‘s Defensive Player of the Year season, helped produce a playoff berth. Simmons could certainly pursue a team in better position compared to the Falcons on the market, but his days of commanding big-ticket deals are over. The Broncos moved the twice-franchise-tagged safety’s four-year, $61MM contract off their books, and the ballhawk’s 2024 Falcons season probably did not vault him close to that contractual stratosphere.

With a substantial Kirk Cousins dead money hit imminent, the Falcons are not in good cap shape. They are projected to be more than $4MM over the 2025 salary ceiling, even after the Wednesday news of its roughly $280MM landing spot. A cost-conscious free agency appears likely in Atlanta, so it will be interesting to see if Simmons is linked to another team soon. The Falcons, who also have late-summer acquisition Matt Judon due for free agency, have until March 10 to negotiate exclusively with their 2024 safety addition.

DB Notes: Lassiter, Texans, Colts, Simmons, Davis, Lions, Chiefs, Dolphins, Hawks, Jags

August 20th, 2024 at 3:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans showed interest in re-signing Steven Nelson this offseason, but the two-year Houston starter ended up retiring. Houston has identified another clear candidate to start opposite Derek Stingley. The defending AFC South champions are prepared to roll with second-rounder Kamari Lassiter as their No. 2 cornerback. Not much drama exists here, with KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson indicating Lassiter has worked with Houston’s first-team defense since the offseason program. Although Lassiter sustained an ankle injury earlier during training camp, the No. 42 overall pick reclaimed his starter post — ahead of former first-rounders Jeff Okudah and C.J. Henderson — and will be expected to work in tandem with Stingley.

“For a young guy to come in and not be noticed a lot for doing something negative, everything has been positive with Kamari,” Texans HC DeMeco Ryans said. “He’s exactly the guy we saw from the Georgia film.”

Here is the latest from several other DB situations:

The Chiefs still need to decide on a No. 2 corner opposite Trent McDuffie. Long known for moving on from corners after one contract (as they most recently did with L’Jarius Sneed), the Chiefs have a few options — most acquired in 2022. Fourth- and seventh-round picks from that draft Joshua Williams and Jaylen Watson, who played extensively last year, lead the way. No one has seized the job, per The Athletic’s Nate Taylor, who has 2022 seventh-rounder Nazeeh Johnson, rookie sixth-rounder Kamal Hadden and former Cowboys second-rounder Kelvin Joseph making the team as well (subscription required). Versatile performer Chamarri Conner, a 2023 fourth-rounder, will be in the mix at corner, but Andy Reid said (via Taylor) this could be a rotation into the season.
Justin Simmons accepted a one-year, $7.5MM Falcons deal. That price being so far beyond what other veteran safeties commanded confirms a decent market formed for the perennial All-Pro. The Colts‘ questions in the secondary did not lead them into this chase, however, with the Indianapolis Star’s Nate Atkins indicating the team did not make the ex-Bronco an offer. Former third-rounder Nick Cross, recently re-signed veteran Ronnie Harrison and third-year performer Rodney Thomas have rotated in alongside Julian Blackmon in camp. Colts assistant GM Ed Dodds said no safety moves are anticipated.
Seeing his three-year contract traded from the Buccaneers to the Lions, Carlton Davis remains scheduled to be a 2025 free agent. Davis will be 27 for most of this season, which should give him a decent market — should no Detroit extension be reached in the meantime — come March. A new agency will be representing the former second-rounder for his next negotiation. Davis is joining Athletes First, per a recent announcement.
Jalen Ramsey and Kendall Fuller will start on the boundary for the Dolphins, with former UDFA success story Kader Kohou in place as Miami’s slot defender. Despite Cam Smith being a second-round pick, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson notes Ethan Bonner — a 2023 UDFA who has stood out in training camp — is the frontrunner to be Miami’s top backup CB. Bonner, who recently returned from a concussion sustained in camp, played only 11 defensive snaps last season. While Smith recently came back after missing nearly three weeks due to injury, ESPN.com’s Marcel Louis-Jacques adds he is week-to-week after sustaining another injury against the Commanders. Despite playing 15 games last season, Smith only saw 20 defensive snaps.
The base value on Julian Love‘s second Seahawks contract checks in at $33MM, per OverTheCap. The three-year deal includes $11.97MM guaranteed at signing and dropped Love’s cap number by just more than $1.6MM. Option bonuses (worth a combined $4.8MM) are in place to keep the cap hits lower, with both Love’s 2024 and ’25 cap figures coming in at just over $6MM. Love’s 2025 base salary ($1.2MM) is guaranteed for injury and will shift to a full guarantee five days after Super Bowl LIX, ESPN.com’s Brady Henderson tweets.
The Jaguars‘ Tashaun Gipson reunion pact is worth $2.55MM, Wilson tweets. It comes with $525K guaranteed. The Jags will still be shorthanded at safety for a while. In addition to Gipson’s six-week suspension, Doug Pederson said (via ESPN.com’s Michael DiRocco) Andrew Wingard‘s recent knee injury will sideline him for at least a few games.

Falcons To Sign S Justin Simmons

August 15th, 2024 at 10:07pm CST by Sam Robinson

No Matt Judon extension is complete, but the Chris Lindstrom restructure will make way for another key payment. Justin Simmons‘ recent Falcons visit will produce a deal.

Atlanta is bringing in the longtime Denver safety starter on a one-year, $8MM accord, NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero tweets. This will give the Falcons an elite safety duo, with Simmons — a four-time All-Pro — set to team with Jessie Bates. Former Simmons Broncos teammate Su’a Cravens, now with CBS Sports Central, initially reported this deal would come to pass. Raheem Morris and Falcon defenders Bates, AJ Terrell and Grady Jarrett joined Simmons for dinner during his visit, with veteran reporter Jordan Schultz indicating this helped seal the deal.

Simmons will receive $7.5MM fully guaranteed, NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport tweets. Of course, guarantees on this contract are less important due to vested veterans’ salaries locking in just before Week 1. The Athletic’s Jeff Howe labels this a one-year, $7.5MM pact that features a $500K incentive for a first-team All-Pro nod.

Still, Simmons does far better than a veteran-minimum deal after a lengthy free agency stay. The former Broncos defensive centerpiece — released in March in a Broncos cost-cutting move — will have a chance to create a 2025 market for himself, and the Falcons will have exclusive negotiating rights with the ninth-year veteran until March.

Since Simmons’ 2016 NFL debut, no one has more interceptions than the former third-round pick. The Boston College product snared 30 in Denver. Four of those came off Patrick Mahomes, though team success eluded the seven-year Denver starter. Drafted two months after the Broncos’ Super Bowl 50 win, Simmons soon toiled for a franchise that struggled to replace Peyton Manning. As the Russell Wilson trade did not pan out, Simmons and Patrick Surtain led in keeping the Denver defense afloat. Simmons has camped on the All-Pro second team, landing there four times since 2019.

Although Simmons played under Vic Fangio and Ejiro Evero, he will instead land in Atlanta. Morris worked with Evero in Los Angeles, which should make a quicker acclimation process possible for the 30-year-old defender. Simmons had said he wanted to sign with a contender. While the Falcons have not qualified as such since midway through the Dan Quinn years, they have operated aggressively to change that this offseason. Kirk Cousins‘ arrival spearheaded the effort, and Simmons will join Judon in helping Atlanta attempt to snap a postseason hiatus. The Falcons’ drought has lasted almost as long as the Broncos’, with the 2017 divisional round doubling as the team’s most recent playoff outing.

Simmons led the NFL with six interceptions in 2022, helping keep the Broncos in close games amid their maddening Wilson-Nathaniel Hackett season, and his return from injury last year — after the Dolphins’ 70-20 demolition — coincided with a midseason turnaround. Also intercepting five passes during the 2020 and ’21 seasons, Simmons will join a Falcons secondary that just received a strong Bates debut. The ex-Bengal intercepted six passes and forced three fumbles in his first Falcons slate (Simmons forced five fumbles over the past two years). Bates is tied to a four-year, $64MM deal — one that checked in just higher than Simmons’ 2021 Broncos extension.

Given his age, Simmons is unlikely to come too close to a future deal in the ballpark of the one he inked three years ago (four years, $61MM). But he played three years on that contract and collected franchise tag money in 2020. Simmons can push his career earnings past $70MM on this Falcons pact.

The Falcons have former second-round pick Richie Grant under contract, but part-time starter DeMarcco Hellams sustained a significant ankle injury recently. Although Grant has started 32 career games — including 15 last season — this addition stands to reduce his role. It should be expected the Falcons will trot out a Bates-Simmons pair in a secondary that still includes Terrell’s rookie contract.

After the Saints brought in the accomplished safety for a meeting early in training camp, the Falcons will instead swoop in. It will now be interesting to see if they hammer out an agreement with Judon, who spent his final months in New England angling for new terms.

Falcons To Host S Justin Simmons

August 12th, 2024 at 11:57am CST by Adam La Rose

Another NFC South team is interested in Justin Simmons. The free agent safety is set to visit the Falcons today and tomorrow, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.

Simmons remains on the open market, but the recent increase in interest could soon produce a deal. The Saints hosted him last week, and head coach Dennis Allen noted team and player had previously been in communication during the spring. New Orleans and Simmons seemed to achieve better clarity on the matter of a potential agreement in the wake of last week’s meeting, but today’s news means the team could have competition in finalizing a contract.

Atlanta made a major safety investment via free agency last offseason. Jessie Bates inked a four-year, $64MM deal, and he delivered on expectations during his first Falcons campaign. The former Bengal racked up six interceptions, 11 pass deflections and three forced fumbles; those totals earned him a Pro Bowl invitation and a second-team All-Pro nod.

While Bates thrived in 2023, the Falcons did not enjoy success in the takeaway department. The team only totaled eight interceptions, and adding another playmaker to partner with Bates would go a long way in spurring a step forward in production. Since entering the league in 2016, Simmons has posted 30 interceptions, the most in the NFL during that span. The two-time Pro Bowler has notched at least three picks in each of the past six campaigns.

Simmons has yet to play a postseason game in his eight-year career, and he has said the ability to join a contender in 2024 is a higher priority than securing the most lucrative deal available. Just like the Saints, the Falcons were unable to win an underwhelming NFC South last season and they missed the playoffs as a result. Atlanta now has a new coaching staff and quarterback Kirk Cousins in the fold, though, leading to expectations for a rebound from the Arthur Smith era.

With two weeks remaining in the preseason, Simmons still has some time to find a new home. The 30-year-old will be counted on to handle starting duties wherever he lands, and in the case of Atlanta that would mean partnering with another centerfield-type safety in Bates and relegating Richie Grant to second-team duties. It will certainly be interesting to see how this Falcons visit goes over the coming days. Atlanta currently sits at the bottom of the league in terms of cap space with $3.5MM available, so any Simmons investment would need to be a modest one.

Saints To Meet With S Justin Simmons

August 7th, 2024 at 1:38pm CST by Sam Robinson

1:38pm: When speaking to the media after Wednesday’s practice, head coach Dennis Allen said (via Underhill) New Orleans was in communication with Simmons this spring. While little traction was gained at that point, Allen noted team and player are closer now, making the Saints a contender to secure a deal.

8:19am: Justin Simmons has shown patience since his March Broncos release, but the perennial All-Pro safety remains unsigned two weeks into training camp. His closest post-Denver connection has emerged, however.

The Saints are planning to meet with Simmons today, according to NewOrleans.football’s Nick Underhill. New Orleans has multiple clear ties to Simmons, with Joe Woods having coached the former third-round pick in Denver. Saints secondary coach Marcus Robertson was also on staff during part of Simmons’ Broncos stay.

Woods’ Denver DC years (2017-18) overlapped with Simmons’ move into the team’s starting lineup. The Broncos parked the Boston College product behind Super Bowl starters T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart in 2016, when Woods was the team’s DBs coach, but jettisoned Ward ahead of the ’17 campaign. Simmons moved into the Broncos’ starting lineup alongside Stewart that season and remained there until Sean Payton’s first season with the club.

While Simmons has generated understandable interest, it is clear his market has not ventured to a satisfactory place. The 30-year-old defender — the NFL’s interceptions leader (30) since his 2016 rookie year — has seen the other big names on the safety market find homes in recent weeks. The Titans have added Jamal Adams and Quandre Diggs, while fellow cuts Eddie Jackson (Ravens) and Marcus Maye (Dolphins) also landed in the AFC.

Simmons has wanted to land with a contender, having never played in a playoff game. The Saints have missed the past three NFC playoff brackets, but they do have a veteran-laden defense — one that includes 2022 offseason addition Tyrann Mathieu at safety — and play in the lowly regarded NFC South. At this point, Simmons’ options may be limited. Although the eight-year veteran could continue to wait for an injury to affect his market, time is running out for him to catch on ahead of the season. Simmons has stood in place as the top free agent available for much of this offseason, and while he has landed a second-team All-Pro accolade in four of the past five seasons, some evaluators viewed his 2023 work (per the Denver Post’s Troy Renck) as inconsistent.

The Saints used 2023 fifth-rounder Jordan Howden during Maye’s injury- and suspension-driven absences last season, but Simmons would certainly be an upgrade. He started 108 games in Denver and resided as one of the NFL’s best safeties — a status that garnered him a four-year, $61MM extension in 2021 — for most of his Broncos tenure. The Saints hold just more than $11MM in cap space, and other established vets (Cameron Jordan, Marshon Lattimore, Demario Davis) join Mathieu on their defensive depth chart.

Nothing close to Simmons’ $15MM-plus-per-year Broncos salary is available at this point, but Simmons should be able to fetch a decent price — even at this juncture — ahead of another free agency run in 2025.

Texans Not Interested In S Justin Simmons

August 6th, 2024 at 11:13am CST by Adam La Rose

Justin Simmons remains one of the top free agents still on the market. For the time being, at least, the veteran safety is not a target of the Texans.

Houston has not yet submitted a contract offer to Simmons, Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 reports. That could change in the future, but a lack of interest this deep into the summer suggests the Texans are satisfied with their incumbent options on the backend. Simmons was released earlier this offseason by the Broncos, and he has not appeared close to an agreement with a new team.

A reunion with Denver is not expected, although the latest update on that front came before the team’s decision to move on from Caden Sterns yesterday. The Broncos currently sit near the bottom of the league in cap space with $7.8MM in available funds. Simmons, for his part, has not named finances as his top priority during his ongoing free agent spell, however.

The 30-year-old is aiming to join a contending team on his next pact, one which will likely check in at a lower price than the $15.25MM AAV he was previously attached to. Simmons’ 30 interceptions since entering the league in 2016 lead the NFL during that span, and his production would make him a valued contributor on any number of teams. He has earned two Pro Bowl invitations and four second-team All-Pro nods in the past five seasons, so in at least the short term he would be counted on to remain an impact starter with his next employer.

Simmons has drawn interest in recent weeks with many teams considering him the best veteran still on the market. No known visits have taken place, though, so it remains to be seen when he will make notable progress toward signing a deal. Houston has veterans Jimmie Ward and Eric Murray in place at safety. Third-round rookie Calen Bullock is another option at that position. Jalen Pitre has seen time at safety before, but as Wilson notes the Texans are trying him at slot corner for now.

If that alignment draws success during the remainder of training camp and the preseason, Houston could continue with the status quo in the secondary. Injuries or poor play could change the team’s thinking, and with over $20MM in cap space an investment in Simmons would certainly be feasible. As things currently stand, however, the Texans should not be listed as a contender to acquire him.

S Justin Simmons Addresses Free Agency

July 12th, 2024 at 9:44am CST by Adam La Rose

The Jamal Adams deal may start a domino effect regarding contracts for veteran safeties who still find themselves on the market. In that event, Justin Simmons will be worth watching closely; the former Broncos Pro Bowler is the most decorated safety available, and he could generate a market amongst contending teams.

To little surprise, a report from Thursday night indicated many teams around the league consider Simmons to be the top free agent with training camps not far away. A number of suitors could put in competitive offers as a result, and the 30-year-old can afford to hold out for a relatively lucrative offer. As could be expected, though, Simmons also has his eyes on a 2024 Super Bowl run as he considers his options.

“We’re just playing the long game here. I think ultimately we’re going to end up where we’re wanted and where we’re valued,” he said, via Bradey King of Denver7. “I’ve always said from the jump that I want to play for a contender, and I feel like I can be the missing piece for a lot of teams to get them over the hump.”

Simmons has racked up 30 interceptions since entering the league in 2016, the most in the NFL during that span. He has earned second-team All-Pro acclaim in four of the past five seasons, but he was one of many aging safeties who were let go this spring in cost-cutting moves. A reunion with the Broncos should not be expected, though a number of other teams could show interest in the coming days and weeks.

The Boston College alum indicated that nothing is considered imminent regarding an agreement, but it would come as no surprise if he had a deal in place before training camp. 24 NFL teams currently have over $10MM in cap space, meaning they could feasibly absorb a deal for Simmons while maintaining needed flexibility ahead of the fall. Of those teams, however, many are already at the offseason roster limit, meaning they would need to cut a player to make room for him.

Simmons has amassed over $62MM in career earnings, most of which stems from the $15.25MM-per-year Broncos extension he inked in 2021. A deal of smaller value will no doubt await him when he joins a new team, but his free agency will remain one to monitor in the immediate future.

Considerable Interest In S Justin Simmons

July 11th, 2024 at 7:12pm CST by Sam Robinson

Jamal Adams followed Marcus Maye in coming off the free agent board this summer, landing a deal with the Titans on Thursday. Safety talent still resides on the market, and Justin Simmons headlines that list.

The former Broncos standout, who received four second-team All-Pro nods over the past five seasons, has been available for four months now. A lack of interest is not keeping the eight-year veteran unsigned. As could be expected given Simmons’ age (30) and accomplishments, money is the lead driver here.

Several teams consider Simmons the top free agent remaining, per NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport, who adds the longtime Denver starter has drawn considerable interest during his time on the market. A recent report suggested low-money deals featuring incentives were likely for a safety glut that still includes Simmons, Quandre Diggs and Eddie Jackson. Simmons probably checks in a tier higher here, which has made his availability somewhat curious even as the safety market has fluctuated.

This offseason brought three big-ticket deals — for Antoine Winfield Jr., Xavier McKinney and Kyle Dugger — with the Buccaneers defender scoring a position-record extension. Winfield’s four-year, $84.1MM contract not only set a safety record, it came in with a higher AAV than any cornerback has secured to date.

Free agency, however, also brought a modest contract for Kamren Curl (two years, $9MM) and midlevel pacts for the likes of Geno Stone (2/14) and Rayshawn Jenkins (2/12). Kevin Byard joined Simmons as a cap casualty; the Bears gave him a two-year, $15MM pact. C.J. Gardner-Johnson, who has an extensive past in the slot, signed a nine-year, $27MM deal to return to the Eagles. But just $10MM is guaranteed at signing.

It would stand to reason Simmons is aiming fairly high, given his production. Since coming into the league in 2016, Simmons has snared more interceptions (30) than anyone else. This came after the former third-round pick waited a year to start behind former Super Bowl cogs T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart. Simmons also already cashed in, having played the 2020 season on the franchise tag before spending three seasons on a four-year, $61MM extension.

With considerable earnings banked, Simmons is also likely prioritizing a fit. The Broncos drafted Simmons two months after a Super Bowl parade but have not made the playoffs since. Landing with a contender makes sense for the Boston College alum; a Broncos reunion is viewed as highly unlikely, as the team has made lower-cost plans at the position.

Experienced players have been known to wait until training camp or occasionally into the preseason to sign. Camp gives teams a better view of where position groups stand, and injuries obviously can shake up depth charts. With camps starting in less than three weeks, Simmons’ 2024 destination should be known fairly soon. It will be interesting to see if he lands a one-year deal with hopes of a better market in 2025 or secures a notable multiyear commitment this summer.

Broncos Unlikely To Bring Back S Justin Simmons

May 16th, 2024 at 9:43am CST by Adam La Rose

A number of veteran safeties were let go in the lead-in to free agency, and many remain unsigned well after the draft. That includes Justin Simmons, who saw his eight-year Broncos tenure come to an end in March.

Denver’s decision to cut bait created $14.5MM in cap savings for 2024, the final year of Simmons’ deal. The 30-year-old’s future with the team was in question before his release, given the nature of his contract. Rather than pursuing an extension to lower his cap hit, though, the Broncos made Simmons one of the most high-profile players to be let go this offseason.

The two-time Pro Bowler has not been connected to any new teams during his ongoing free agent spell. It would come as a surprise if he were to reunite with the Broncos, however. Parker Gabriel of the Denver Post writes that it appears “very unlikely” a new deal keeping Simmons in the Mile High City will be worked out. As Gabriel notes, the Broncos have not acted in a way which suggests they are open to exploring a way to renew this relationship.

Not long after Simmons was let go, fellow safety P.J. Locke was retained on a two-year deal. The latter took on starting duties when Kareem Jackson missed time through suspension in 2023, and his play earned him a new investment from the team. Denver also has Caden Sterns as well as Delarrin Turner-Yell and JL Skinner in place as returnees on the backend.

In free agency, the Broncos moved quickly in adding Brandon Jones. The former Dolphin secured $20MM on a three-year pact, and he will be counted on to replace Simmons’ production moving forward. Jones, 26, has amassed three interceptions and nine pass deflections in his four-year career. Those figures fall well short of what Simmons has accomplished (30 interceptions, 64 pass breakups), but Jones will have significant opportunities to make an impact on his new team.

Denver did not select a safety during the draft, leaving Jones and Locke as starters for the 2024 campaign. While a Simmons reunion cannot be entirely ruled out until his next contract is in place, signs point toward him playing on a new team for the first time in his career in 2024. He could represent the first of many safety dominoes in the waning stages of free agency around the league.

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